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Construction superintendent vs site manager

The differences between construction superintendents and site managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a construction superintendent and a site manager. Additionally, a construction superintendent has an average salary of $87,486, which is higher than the $59,192 average annual salary of a site manager.

The top three skills for a construction superintendent include OSHA, construction management and project management. The most important skills for a site manager are customer service, safety procedures, and oversight.

Construction superintendent vs site manager overview

Construction SuperintendentSite Manager
Yearly salary$87,486$59,192
Hourly rate$42.06$28.46
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs34,82247,853
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does a construction superintendent do?

A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules. Aside from producing daily progress reports, a construction superintendent also addresses issues and concerns should there be any. Furthermore, they must implement all safety regulations and policies to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

What does a site manager do?

The tasks of a Site Manager may vary, but the responsibility will always revolve around supervising the construction project and its employees, making sure that the project is completed within the allotted time, budget, and quality. Site Managers are required to have great communication and leadership skills as they are often the ones to engage with the clients and coordinate with the employees. Moreover, It is also the Site Manager's responsibility to ensure the safety of employees, prepare site reports, conduct quality control procedures, assess and solve problems, negotiate contracts, and secure permits needed for the project.

Construction superintendent vs site manager salary

Construction superintendents and site managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction SuperintendentSite Manager
Average salary$87,486$59,192
Salary rangeBetween $61,000 And $123,000Between $32,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyColdwell Banker Morris Real EstateMeta
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between construction superintendent and site manager education

There are a few differences between a construction superintendent and a site manager in terms of educational background:

Construction SuperintendentSite Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction superintendent vs site manager demographics

Here are the differences between construction superintendents' and site managers' demographics:

Construction SuperintendentSite Manager
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 97.0% Female, 3.0%Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between construction superintendent and site manager duties and responsibilities

Construction superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Manage crew on apartment, condo and town-home remodel and restoration projects.
  • Manage the MEP coordination meetings, as well as performing mechanical superintendent duties.
  • Manage the supervising of construction and installation of HVAC restoration in historical government hospital buildings.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Communicate with EOR/Architect/Construction PM/Superintendent/fab shop on all shop drawings as needed to resolve RFI's and change orders.
  • Avoid disputes & claims through comprehensive proposals, email correspondence, RFI's, & daily reporting.
  • Show more

Site manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage all aspects of LTE upgrade procedure.
  • Manage incoming work through Ricoh project software and through e-mail.
  • Manage incoming and outgoing faxes, mail, and FedEx packages.
  • Identify and manage all work require to complete and acquire NTP.
  • Manage day-to-day processing of account receivables and payables using QuickBooks and Xero, producing reports as requested.
  • Monitor KPI's and manage them so that weak areas can be addressed and future performance can be improve.
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Construction superintendent vs site manager skills

Common construction superintendent skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • Construction Management, 8%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Construction Sites, 5%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%
Common site manager skills
  • Customer Service, 17%
  • Safety Procedures, 7%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Logistics, 5%
  • Project Management, 4%

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